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“Shit. I had no idea, man. I’m sorry.” I reach over and clap him on the shoulder.
He offers me a weak smile. “You’re not the only one who struggled, you know?”
My head hangs. “I see.”
Lana. Wyatt. Señora Castillo. The list goes on and on, making my chest ache.
He rises from the picnic table. “Just think about it. My offer will always stand, even if you decide to move back to Chicago once the house is sold.”
“Really?”
“Yeah,really. I owe it to the man who used to be my best friend.” He takes a few steps away, but I call his name.
He glances over his shoulder. “What?”
“Does this mean we’re friends now?”
He scoffs. “Absolutely not.”
The small smile on his face makes me believe it might become a possibility one day, though.
“Come on!” Cami grabs my hand and tugs, ineffectively getting me to rise from the picnic table I’ve spent the last two hours wallowing at.
“What’s up?” I look around at the empty lawn.
“We’re going to cut the cake!” She yanks harder this time. “You almost missed it.”
“Sorry. I was daydreaming.”
“Do that later!” She digs her feet into the ground and pulls.
“All right. Let’s go.” The last thing I want to do is be stuck inside the guesthouse with a bunch of people who don’t like me, but if it makes Cami happy, I’m willing to be an adult and suck it up.
After all, who am I to deny the birthday girl?
I rise from the bench, my movements much more fluid after spending the last two hours without touching another drink.
Cami doesn’t release my hand as she drags me into the guesthouse and places me behind the cake table. Lana stands beside me, her body as stiff as her smile. Everyone else remains on the other side with their phones in the air. A range of emotions is written across the parents’ faces. Surprise. Annoyance. Curiosity.
Delilah and Wyatt share a knowing look while Violet pretends I don’t even exist, which is possibly even worse.
I move to take a step around the table, but Lana latches on to my hand.
“Cami wants you here.” Her face remains calm, cool, and collected, although her eyes burn with enough anger to make me frown.
Cami looks up at us two with a big smile. “Ready?”
I nod, my throat feeling impossibly tight.
The crowd begins singing the happy birthday song while Cami sways on her feet. Once the singing stops, Cami blows out her candles. Everyone cheers and claps for her.
While Lana is busy cutting the cake, Cami beckons me closer.
I kneel down. “What’s up?”
She rises on the tips of her toes and whispers in my ear, “I wished you can be my new daddy.”
I wished you can be my new daddy.
